Above: The recording session for The Mesos Trio’s debut EP.
A new, instantly captivating sound is available for us to sink our sensibilities into. The debut EP from The Mesos Trio (Susie Bishop, Maharshi Raval and Elsen Price) is the product of a spontaneous recording session between the three busy musicians. No strangers to the crossover, genre expanding scene and live gigs across Sydney, the members of this trio promise to deliver a unique and successful union of seldomly combined sounds.
And deliver they do. During the recording of this rehearsal-free session, the free exchange this trio’s rich experience offers is rich in instantly moulded backgrounds as well as offering a satisfying flow with which to lull the listener of any experience level or cultural background.
Some vivid, accessible music results from this session. The EP sampler of what is possible from this trio is impressive. The successful combination of Maharshi Raval’s tabla layers and breathtaking solos with the eclectic flexibility of Elsen Price’s double bass impro work and the versatility of Susie Bishop’s violin voice, so experience in the global folk scene is not surprisingly a recipe for success here, albeit from sound and genre worlds many may not have imagined blended.
This is the easy-going, impressive and attentive music making which our world and world music scene needs. The song choice, solos and kaleidoscopic comments from three disparate worlds and musicians with intersecting and extensive experience with Elsen Price provide a new hue here.
The Mesos Trio (in Greek, ‘mesos’ can mean ‘among’, ‘midst’ or ‘middle’- so appropriate to this project’s combinations of styles and meeting of musics plus backgrounds) here produces a very gentle breath of fresh air, with the controlled gales of easy virtuosity at times to develop the core of each track. The union of very individual lines in the whole-hearted trinity of tracks these three crossover music legends create are instantly rewarding. Their intersection is respectful and their conversation is refreshingly even.
The trio of tracks on this entree from a group for which our appetite is truly activated draw upon the known and demonstrated background for each performer.
Firstly, the earthy track ‘Mountain Wind, Mountain Rock’ is a recorded first take group impro that is led out of the block by some intricate tabla playing. This soundscape is exquisitely spaced, its layers and layered sections merging expertly together in this success story of musical spontanaeity and cross cultural offerings.
The central track is a fine reshaping of Jay Ungar’s track ‘Ashokan Farewell’, written for Ken Burns’ 1990 TV mini-series about the US Civil War. Susie Bishop’s storytelling, folk music depth and smooth double stop work blends well with her Mesos Trio mates here. The three provide elements of laments, lullabies, protest and nostalgia in this track. There are hopeful energies to ward off sorrow, conflict and loss using the power of trio music to imbue strength despite our histories.
And the EP concludes with a vibrant, fun romp. ‘Whiskey Before Breakfast’, brought to the group from Elsen Price’s background in regional NSW, frequenting and collecting music at local bush dances. Solos are tossed between the stringed instruments here, including some athletically clean, well-articulated and phrased double bass breaks to help any dancer enjoy the number. The tabla slots so well in here that I want more dance tracks in the full album.
Which we hope can arrive, though any chance to hear The Mesos Trio live or in recorded, recorded-live-session-mode will be a welcome one. Music moving forward will do well to try to imitate the blend of diverse elements and backgrounds so easily mastered here.
Mesos Trio’s debut album (Elsen Price Productions) was recorded, mixed and mastered by Chris Doherty from Point Blank Studios, Sydney Australia. The EP is available from Bandcamp, Spotify and Qobuz Videos from Point Blank Studios are also now available on You Tube, to be searched under their track names.
